[Homestead] Spider bite
Jerry B
liberty at kaballero.com
Sun Jun 22 10:27:59 EDT 2008
At least in the broad scan of Wikipaedia, Daddy Long Legs are getting a
bum rap. Under the heading Misconceptions is found:
"An urban legend <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend> claims that
the harvestman is the most venomous <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venom>
animal in the world, but its fangs are too small to bite a human and
therefore is not dangerous. (The same myth applies to the cellar spider
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellar_spider>, which is also called a
daddy longlegs)^[8] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#cite_note-7>
. This is untrue on several counts. None of the known species have venom
glands or fangs, instead having chelicerae
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelicerae>.^[9]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#cite_note-8> The size of its
mouth varies by species, but even those with relatively large jaws
hardly ever bite humans or other large creatures, even in self-defense.
The few known cases of actual bites did not involve envenomation, and
had no lasting effect.^[10]"
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#cite_note-9>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones#Misconception
---------------
someone wrote:
>> Virtually all spiders are venomous. Daddy-long-legs is one of the
>> most venomous spiders in the world, but it's mouth is so small it
>> can't bite you.
>>
>
> THAT's comforting to know - just yesterday our 6 year old excitedly
> pointed out one in the bathroom. I said it can't hurt you and is not
> dangerous.
>
> (I'll handle them MUCH more carefully from now on!)
>
> Roy
>
> Roy Morgan
> k1lky at earthlink.net
> Lovettsville, VA 20180
>
>
>
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